


Sing the Days of Love

by Madam_Violet



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Episode: s03e13 Last of the Time Lords, Gen, Missy travels with Ten
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-08
Updated: 2018-06-12
Packaged: 2019-03-02 07:52:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13313793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madam_Violet/pseuds/Madam_Violet
Summary: What if the Master had regenerated in series 3, after being captured on the Valiant ?AU in which the Tenth Doctor takes Missy with him as a travel companion.





	1. Tomorrow will be special

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted this AU since I watched Dark Water, but no one never wrote it :,(.  
> So I'm going to repair this terrible injustice ^^. This is a one shot, but it could become a multi chapter if poeple enjoy it.

When Lucy Saxon shot, the world stopped spinning.

And everything went so slowly the Doctor could almost feel each nanosecond brushing against his skin, like fighting against wind. The Master looked at him with disbelief in his sad eyes. Why did this regeneration had such a sad, lonely pair of eyes ?

The Doctor caught him in his fall, giving him comfort for his last moments in this body.

"Are you happy, Doctor ? I'm dying in your arms."

"You're not dying, it's just a bullet. Regenerate."

"I refuse."

Now he was smirking, a wicked twinkle sparkling in his brownish eyes. The Doctor froze. It couldn't end like that. Not now. Not now he had someone to care for, someone dear to him, so dear to him.

“Regenerate !”

It was a soothing invitation, like a promise he would make everything better.

“And spending the rest of my life imprisoned with you ?”

“It can't end up like this. Remember the Axons. You remember ? And the Daleks. We’re the only one left.”

The Master said nothing, but the determination in his eyes spoke for him. The Doctor knew it was over.

“What about that ? I won.”

It was a victory, indeed. The pain overflowed the Doctor. The death of a Time Lord was too rare, it wasn’t natural. It was beyond his mind’s capacities. Did humans feel the same for their peers when they died ?

“Regenerate !”

Now anger was taking over. It was unfair, terribly unfair. The Master could heal, he didn’t had to die. The Doctor felt like he owed it to him, after all the deceptions and abandonment.

“Please tell me Doctor, the drumming, will it stop ?”

So much pain in those eyes. The Doctor felt a pang of guilt in his stomach. For his selfishness, his egoistic desire to keep his long lost friend for himself ignoring his suffering. Swallowing his frustration, he held the Master closer to his chest, giving him a last moment of tenderness. The other Time Lord closed his eyes, a peaceful expression on his soft traits. It was almost beautiful, but the Doctor felt too much pain to see the beauty. So instead he screamed. He screamed with all his pain, rage, despair.

He was alone in the universe and the Master was gone. It was too unfair. Death was not meant to happen. Suddenly, the Doctor remembered an old Gallifreyan song, the kind of sentimental nonsense someone would call a popular tune. _Sing the days of love, softly lay me down. Tenderly the night will come, in your sweet embrace._ The song was untranslatable in any human language. Well, a rough interpretation was possible, but the whole tense of the song only existed in Gallifreyan. It was the universal tense, expressing both past and future. Not as a general statement, but as opposite flows. Maybe singing it as a duet, with one voice doing it backward.

The Universal tense meant Time was a double flow. Past wasn’t fixed, it was running away. All his life, the Doctor had tried to run faster than it, but today it was catching up. Tomorrow would be the fist day without the Master.

Then, slowly, it would be years without the Master, decades without the Master, centuries without the Master…

It was an unbearable thought and anger took over the Doctor. He couldn’t let that happen. No matter what was fair, what was good. Today, he wanted to save the Master. Whatever was good or fair. Tomorrow wouldn’t be the first day without the Master.

Concentrating, he let a flow of energy run trough is hands. The Master could still regenerate. He was unconscious but his body still held a faint pulse of life. The Doctor would bring him back, even if he had to go against his will. He knew he could make things better, give him a decent life. It was only selfish at the moment. In the future they would both be happy. The future was worth the bet.

Giving a small kiss on his friend’s forehead, he laid him on the floor.

_Softly lay me down._

But this time night wouldn’t come. Instead a new day was about to begin. A better one. The Doctor had his eyes locked on the unconscious Master when a hand took him by the shoulder. He turned around, surprised to see he wasn’t the only living soul on board of the Valiant. Martha was there too, and so many strangers.

“Everyone, step back !” she warned. “he’s going to regenerate.”

The Doctor smiled. Dear clever Martha. She was so much more logical and reactive than him. He obeyed, alongside with the soldiers.

The body began glowing and whispers buzzed in the crowd.

“It’s a natural surviving mechanism” Martha explained very simply and factually. “His DNA is reprogramming, his body repairing itself. He will wake up with a new face, probably a slightly new personality. He’ll keep is memories and his main traits.”

The body kept glowing and both Martha and the Doctor winced. It wasn’t supposed to be that long. Suddenly, Jack grabbed Lucy’s gun and pointed it toward the body.

“If I shoot now, he’ll be over. No more tricks.”

“No !” Martha and the Doctor cried in unison.

They exchanged a glance, gratitude filling the Doctor’s damp eyes.

“Listen to me, I know this man committed unspeakable acts, but no one’s allowed to take his life. He’s one of the oldest, and wisest creature in this universe. He’s the last other survivor of a terrible war and the doctor needs him by his sides” she pleaded.

“Well, good luck for assuring the future of the specie” muttered Jack with a sarcastic smile.

If a glare could kill, Jack would be dead a dozen of times by the whole crowd, Martha at their head. Well, he might not be dead for long, Jack Harkness being Jack Harkness.

On the floor, the Master was still unconscious.

“It’s not good, not good at all. He doesn’t seem in pain. His mind is still shut.

“Is it a problem ?” Martha asked.

“He won’t be able to influence his regeneration. Well, I don’t really mind since I’ve never managed the trick, but the Master is really gifted. He’s able to choose his own face with a great precision.”

“You think it will be hard for him to accept a random face.”

After a few last second of agonizing waiting, the body burst into artron energy. In a microsecond, almost like a sneeze, the familiar figure of Harold Saxon was gone, replaced by a small, slender creature floating into is large suit.

“A child ?” Martha asked, unimpressed.

The Doctor took a few steps and bent over the small figure.

“What !” he exclaimed with shock. “What !” he repeated with a smile. “What !” he said a last time, in a happy laugther.

“What happened ?” asked Martha.

“The Master is a girl !”

She frowned and took a few steps toward the unconscious figure the Doctor was holding against him. Bundled in the black suit, a small woman was sleeping peacefully. She was pale, dark haired. She looked in her late forties, maybe early fifties, high cheekbones and slightly androgynous face. She was pretty.

“Look at her, Martha Jones !” the Doctor gushed. “She’s beautiful. Brilliant, magnificent.”

“She’s got a pretty face” Martha conceded, a bit bitterly. Of course, a woman of his own kind.

By the time, several people had approached to look at the Time Lord, or rather the Time Lady. Tish frowned in confusion.

“And what ? Are you going to let this monster live after all ?”

“Time had been reversed, nobody died, except maybe the president of the United Stated. Oops, I hope it won’t have repercussion on international politics.”

“Whatever” Tish growled. “This man, or woman, or whatever, is still responsible of their actions.”

“And she won’t be if she dies. Please, Letitia Jones, give a chance to the last Time Lady. I know she can learn, she’s so, so clever.”

They was so much love and endearment in the Doctor eyes. Martha felt a bit jealous, but it didn’t surprised her after all. Jack was smirking.

“You can say it, now” she sighed.

“I guess the legacy of the Time Lord isn’t lost for ever.”

Everyone rolled their eyes, except the Doctor who was too busy stroking his friend’s cheek.

She began to fidget, struggling against her handcuffs to grab the Doctor’s shirt. He smiled and took the metallic device away using his screwdriver. As soon as she was free, she clinged to him, burying her head in his chest, her ears against his hearts.

“Are you looking for the drums ?” he asked softly.

She shuffled and opened her eyes. The Doctor gasped.

Two orbs of the purest blue were staring at him, innocent like baby eyes.

“Hello, Master. Or should I call you Mistress ?”

She smirked and sprung on her feet like a jack in a box. In a heartbeat, she had taken Lucy’s gun from the nearest soldier and was pointing it to the crowd. She prowled like a cat, adjusting her to her new body.

“Mistress, put that gun down” the Doctor ordered.

“But they all have their pointed on poor little me” she pouted in return.

“Everyone, put your weapons now. Please, do as I say, we can make it peacefully.”

The soldiers obeyed and the Doctor walked to the Mistress. He knew he could negotiate with her. He had to if he wanted to save her.

“Now, your turn. Give me this gun.”

“Alright !” she sighed dramatically, in a sing song high pitched Scottish voice. “If a girl can’t have fun anymore...”

She twirled around and gave a chaste kiss on the Doctor’s lips, putting the gun against his temple.

“But first, you give me a Vortex Manipulator.”

The soldiers all pointed their guns in synch, red points dotting the woman in the center.

“No, no, no ! Please, put those guns down !”

Several soldiers obeyed, the other ones heasitated. A young man, almost a boy, was shaking from toes to head. He finally decided to shoot. But he had merely put his finger on the trigger when the Master noticed him and shot first. Right in the shoulder.

“Oh, bugger ! It seems I'm not a fine shooter. Note to myself, finding some sort of a desintegrator !”

The Doctor glanced a sorry look toward the boy, while his companions where taking him away.

“Now, Master, you will stop your little rebellion and give me this gun” he said with a calm but firm voice.

She burst into a high pitched shrill.

“What will you do when you ran away ? Hide somewhere, try to conquest worlds and fail miserably, as always ? If you come out from this ship alive, of course.”

She snarled.

“You can still be sensible and come with me. You and I, in the TARDIS. Koschei et Theta Sigma travelling the stars.”

“You, the freak !” she yelled to Jack. “Vortex Manipulator, now !”

Jack said nothing, glaring at the woman with pure hatred.

“Okay ! Ready to get a new face, sweetheart ? Maybe you'll be lucky and get an upgrade too !”

“Shoot if you want, Jack won't give you anything.”

“If you ask !”

The Doctor didn't flinch when the Master shot. She didn't escape, though. She just froze in place, looking at the gun with disbelief. It didn't take longer to Jack to jump on the Master and immobilise her on the floor, helped by two soldiers.

Martha ran to the Doctor.

“Are you alright ?”

“Yeah” he said, rubbing his temple. “Just a bit of noise.”

Martha laugthed madly.

“The gun” she said, taking her breath, “it was empty !”

“Of course it was” said the Doctor casually. “Do you really think I would have tell her to shoot with a loaded one ?”

She laugthed even harder.

Still on the floor, the Master was struggling against her captors, hissing like a feral cat.

“Please, be careful” pleaded the Doctor. “You're hurting her.”

“Sorry”, he added to the harmed soldier, still lying in an armchair, his shoulder being plastered by a paramedic.

The Doctor walked carefully toward the now restrained madwoman. She had stopped fighting and was now on the verge of tears. He put a hand on her shoulder and made a sign with the head, dismissing the soldiers. After a few seconds of hesitation, they obeyed. The Doctor and Jack helped the Master on her feet. She was now a sobbing mess.

“Hey” said the Doctor softly. “Don't cry, it's going to be alright. You and me, travelling together in the TARDIS.”

Martha cleared her throat.

“Traveling ? You'd better keep her in a very secure cell and throw the key.”

The Doctor blushed a little.

“Yes, of course she's staying in the TARDIS. But it's a nice place to stay, isn't it ?” he added, adressing the prisoner. “A nice room in the TARDIS, with a big library full of books you like. And also a garden if you want, and a swimming pool, and even a music room. By the way, do you still ear the drums ?”

She nodded silently.

“I'm sure we can do something to make this better too.”

She nodded again, and let the Doctor wrap her in a protective hug. Reposing her head against his shoulder, she melted in his embrace.

“What's gonna happen, now ?” she finally spoke.

“You're going to take a good bath, find pretty clothes in the TARDIS wardrobe. You can have a suit if you want, or a dress, whatever you want. Then I'll buy you a very good dinner and we'll picnic in one of my outdoor rooms.”

“Seems nice”, said Martha. “I'd almost like to come along.”

“Common, then" said the Doctor with a bright smile, unaware of the sarcastic tone of his companion.

“No, thanks. My family needs me. And so does yours” she added, nodding towards the Time Lady.

Calmed by the nice proposition the Doctor had made her, the Master was already humming a little tune, unaware of her surrendings. Jack made a gesture on his temple and Martha laughed.

“Completely bananas” he mutters.

“Yeah, my dear Handsome Jack. Bananas. Bananas is cool, I think I like being bananas” she sang childishly.

The Doctor smiled apologetically.

“Since we're going to live together I have to find a name for you. I can't really call you Mistress, you can understand that.”

“What about Missy” Martha suggested.

“That's a cat's name” the Time Lady hissed.

“I think it's cute” said the Doctor. “Missy, short for Mistress. It suits you well.”

She looked at him and smiled soppily.

“ _Hey Missy you're so fine, you're so fine you blow my mind. Hey Missy !”_

Everyone laughed a little, Jack and Martha too. The Doctor took her away, direction the TARDIS. Missy was already stealing everyone's hearts. Typical Master !

“I'll see you soon” he told his friends. “Time to give this young lady a place to stay.”

 


	2. Nightingale in a golden cage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Missy discovers her new living quarters, and also the strangest body she ever had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi ! The first chapter was a hellish mess of typos ! Sorry for not proof reading myself enough. I corrected most of them. I hope this one will be cleaner. Too lazy to proof read tonight !

The TARDIS didn't particulary enjoyed having the Master onboard. At least, she took the best precautions by herself and gave her the most secured room she could create. It was some kind of a vault with a very complex mecanism, biolocked for the Doctor only to open it. The door was protected by a randomized corridor with several protections. But she had been surprisingly kind too. The secured room was spacious and comfortable. She had provided her prisoner with a nice bedroom with a large bed and silky curtains, a luxurious bathroom in a nice Victorian style and even a garden with a beautiful holographic sky.

The Doctor left Missy alone for a while, pretending he had tea to make. He wanted her to discover her environment by herself, and also her body.

“You can take a bath and choose clothes. The TARDIS has a few of them for you in the wardrobe. I'll be back in an hour or so.”

The Time Lady nodded and thrown herself on the bed, exausted. Maybe she should take a look in a mirror, she thought. She had almost died and she didn't really knew how she felt. Part of her was disappointed. Nothing seemed good. Then, again, she hadn't plan to die and she had set a backup. It was just a fake suicide to hurt the Doctor and hide for a while. But it had failed and she was there, prisoner in the TARDIS, one of the most inescapable place in the universe. On the other hand, her escape plan was very dangerous and uncertain, since it implied the help of stupid and terribly mortal human underlings. At least she was alive. Alive was good too. Her last self had been ready to die rather than being taken prisoner, but once the panic of the moment was over, she felt really stupid. Being a prisoner was always better than being dead. Especially now and there, in the Doctor's TARDIS.

She got up on her feet and walked around the room. _Her_ room she corrected herself with a bit of disgust. It was a rather nice place, with a very feminine tone. It strangely didn't bother her. Another reminder she was a girl now. Oh, maybe all her precedant incarnations wouldn't have minded a large bed with thin veils and a pretty star patterned ceiling. All of the Masters had taste for pretty and slightly childish things. The TARDIS didn't get that wrong, filling the shelves with fantasy and science fiction books, most of them being children targeted.

Entangled in clothes way to large, she discarded everything on the floor. Her body was thin and felt light. She could feel long hair in her back.

She took a few steps into the bathroom, unsure of herself. She wasn't sure she wanted to see her new face. It felt so weird. So different than any precedant body. Well, she'd been stranger things than a girl. She hoped she was at least a pretty one. She soon had the answer to this question when she noticed the figure standing in the corner. It took her a second or so to realise she was facing a full body large miror.

She approached slowly the woman in the reflexion, taking cat like steps, as if she was afraid to startle her. The woman in the mirror did the same, of course. Eyes locked on eyes, as if she was defying her to lower her gaze first. Those were quite captivating eyes, round and clear blue, glowing with a cold cat-likeness. Thin lips turned in predatory smile. She liked what she saw on the glass surface. She looked a bit older than the Doctor, but it gave her a more Mistress looking appearance. She wouldn't have liked looking young and naive like poor little Lucy. With her high cheekbones, strong jaw and cold eyes she didn't seemed like someone to underestimate. Good.

Since she was naked, she barely dared look down. _Silly girl_ , she thought, _it's your body._ And from what she could see, it was a quite nice looking body, not very tall, rather petite actually. But with willowy limbs, slight curves and wasp waist. Not the body of a fighter, even if she could feel her own strenght.

Not that she would have to fight in there. The realisation gave her a nauseous feeling down in the stomach and made the drums go a bit faster and stronger. She had no idea what she was going to do now. Escaping a TARDIS wasn't the easiest thing. She had already been a prisoner in there, but back then she had no body and was trapped as a shapeless consciousness inside the Matrix. She had growned fairly close with the Matrix back then. Not in a friendly way, since the nine dimensions being had used a part of her strenght to keep the intruder in chains. But the bond they had forged during those years (was it years ? Hard to say when you're in the heart of a TARDIS) had also linked her closely to the ship. She was sure the protections were custom made to confuse her mind in particular, as if the ship had scanned her thoughts present and future. The TARDIS had anticipated the situation, preparing the room maybe since this day. It was also a nice place, made on purpose as her personal heaven. It was probably better than a personal hell, but Missy knew heaven was probably even more dangerous. Locked with enough books, films and entertainment, she could stay there for centuries without even feeling the time flow. It was kind of a honey trap and she didn't like that. It had been this way too in the Matrix, the TARDIS consciousness had often eased her prisoner with nice dreams and warm mental blankets. It was like a lingering presence whispering _shh, go back to sleep Master, you don't need to wake up yet._

But right now she had a body and a pretty one. If her recent experiences had learnt her a thing, it was that women weren't to be underestimated. Especially not the pretty ones. And she was a pretty woman now. Maybe her body had taken this form because it knew it would be the best weapon. She laughted madly at the idea. Those pretty eyes could open her any doors. She had been a man, she knew what it was. Past her, the one she was a couple of hours ago, would have lost his mind for those eyes. The Doctor was a man too. The idea made her cringe a little in disgust. But if she had to do that, why not ? She had a female body, and probably female hormones too, so maybe it would be kind of enjoyable too. It was the Doctor after all, and she couldn't say she never enjoyed being physically close to him in the past. She was going to become his femme fatale. She tried to take a few sexy poses, feeling awkward.

When the Doctor knocked at her door, she was fully immerged in a warm bath. The water felt good, giving her a clear consciousness of the shapes of her own body. It swirled softly on her sensitive skin at the least of her moves. It was really good. The lavender scented salts filled her senses. Even the drums were almost distant. It was definitely a honey trap, but it felt so nice.

“Missy” the Doctor called, worry in his voice. “Are you alright ?”

She moved around, and the sound of water made the Doctor step back.

“You're in the bath. Please, dry yourself and get dressed, I want to talk to you.”

No answer.

“I have tea and biscuits.”

He heard a splash, followed by slippery steps on the floor.

“Take your time, I'm waiting. I see the TARDIS treated you, it's really nice in there.”

“Sill my prison” a Scottish sounding voice said from behind the door.

Missy opened the wardrobe and chose a plain black turtleneck shirt with a pair of trousers, black too. She would try one of the girly dresses later. She still couldn't imagine herself in one of those. She gave a quick glance to the miror. Her hair needed to be tied. She took and elastic and made a quick ponytail. It wasn't quite the sophisticated style she hoped she would master some day, but it would do for the moment.

The Doctor was waiting in the small garden, he had installed a trey of tea and cakes on the small table. Missy walked carefully to him, watching every flower suspiciously. It looks like one of those dreamlike places that turn into hell as soon as you touch the wrong fruit. Maybe she had read to much fantasy stories.

“Sit, please” the Doctor said.

She took place on the other metal chair, under the lace looking gazebo.

“We need to talk about what happens next.”

“Easy, you keep me locked up down there. You let your machine feed me with tea and cake, visit me once a while because you're so nice and you keep running around the universe.”

“It doesn't work like this, Missy” the Doctor said with a smile. “I don't want to abandon you in a back room of my TARDIS like a prize doll.”

“It wouldn't me the first time you leave me or another being trapped. Things are being whispered you know. Does the Family of Blood rings a bell ?”

The Doctor winced. Missy smiled with all her teeth in return. She had hit a sensitive cord.

“It's not the same.”

“It is. Except on one side you have random monsters of the week you don't give a danm about and on the other one you have your best friend turned Queen of Evil. Same situation, double standard.”

“I'm not a hero, and I never pretended I was one” he said simply.

“Never cruel, never cowardly...”

“Stop that” the Doctor cut her sternly. “You'll stay here for how long as it will be necessary. I hope you'll be able to go out one day. I really hope you will. But before you have to become good.”

Missy scoffed, but was stopped by a harsh glare from the Doctor.

“I'm serious, Missy ! I can keep you in here forever if you prefer. But wouldn't it be better if you became a good person ? You could become my friend again, we could travel through the universe like we promised each other in the Academy dorm.”

“It would be nice, wouldn't it” She said with a bitter laugh.

The Doctor smiled at her and left her alone again. As soon as he was gone, Missy began eating the cakes and sandwiches, starving from her regeneration. She had been too proud to show the Doctor how tired and hungry she was. As soon as she had finished, she collapsed on her bed, quickly falling asleep at the muffled sound of the drums, as if the TARDIS could also isolate her from the never ending sound.

 

In the console room, the Doctor sat at the captain's chair, a book in hands. He could hardly concentrate, his mind always wandering toward his captive. Her words were making their way through his mind. Why was he so caring toward is oldest enemy. The Master did nothing to deserve so much attention. It was true, he had been cruel in the past, and not in such a long past. But with the Master he was so sensitive. He could never bear to see him, or rather her nowaday, suffer the slightest kind of punishment. He knew he would do anything to keep her happy and conviniently forget what she did in the past.

His phone ringtone pulls him out of his thoughts. Martha's voice put a smile on his face.

“Hi, Doctor. Jack and I were a bit worried. How are you ?”

“I'm alright, thank you, Martha Jones.”

“Would you like to come for diner with us. Jack will be there too.”

“Why not ?” th Doctor answered with a smile. “See you soon.”

“Tonight, Cardiff bay at 8 PM.”

“I'll be there.”

 

 


	3. Just a Spoonful of Sugar

Missy didn't know exactly how long she had slept. The TARDIS hadn't provided her with any time indicator. She suspected time might even be distorted in the vault. It wasn't the first time she was trapped in a Time Lord prison, Shada, the Matrix of Gallifrey, even the Eye of the Harmony, all had in common to meddle with the usually accute sense of time of their prisoners. Sometimes as a torture, sometimes as a way to keep them from escaping. Here time seemed like suspended in a comfortable evening, dimmed light and cool temperature removing any desire to get out of the duvet. She played with the thought of going back to sleep. Sleep was good, with the muffled drums and the soft purring noise of the TARDIS. But she had to fight back, show the damn ship she who she was. Kicking the blankets away, she got up on her feet and walked to the bathroom.

When she stepped out, face clean and hair combed, soft morning light poured warmth in the room. Missy streched like a cat. She was a bit hungry. The TARDIS had anticipated her needs and the honey coloured cupboard was full of groceries, probably taken in the Doctor's kitchen. She smiled childishly at all the fancy cereals and biscuits, already imagining the most sugary breakfast ever.

 

The Doctor was still potting around in the console room, always repairing and patching the remains of the Paradox Machine. One of the best thing about time machines was the unlimited procrastination they allowed. Martha and Jack would never know how many hours had passed since the call. Wiping away the slightly glowing oil from his face, he decided it was time to take a pause and join his friends. But first he had to check on his guest. He couldn't get used calling her a prisoner, even if she was one. Desperate to find an excuse to visit her, he decided to go and bring her something to eat. Something healthier and more suitable than sweets and cakes, he chastised the TARDIS.

 

The Doctor carefully opened the door, ready to stop Missy from rushing out of the vault. The randomizer would probably be enough to keep her away from the console room, but he mildly fancied a chase through endless corridors. Luckily, Missy was too busy to even notice her guardian's enterance. The television was on and playing Mary Poppins, probably on a loop since the Time Lady wasn't even watching. He could hear her singing in the bathroom. She already knew the songs lyrics by heart. The Doctor briefly wondered if the Master was already fond of this film before, or if the TARDIS had distorted time enough to allow her to watch Mary Poppins several times in a single morning. Or maybe he had spent way too much time pampering the TARDIS. Noticing the unmade bed and the cold tea and half eaten cake on the bedtable, he was relieved to see Missy was able to take care of herself.

He was sitting in a plush armchair, a copy of A Wrinkle in Time in his hands when Missy came out the bathroom, twirling like a little girl trying a princess dress. She was in a full Edwardian nanny outfit, skirt and jacket in a greyish purple, with a stripped white shirt and a cameo brooch. The look was complete with an intricated up do and a flowered boater hat. The Doctor smiled.

“You look fantastic. Absolutely brilliant !”

“You like it ?” Missy beamed.

“Of course I do. You look very nice.”

She let out a girlish giggle and joined the Doctor, sitting on the bed. She seemed happy.

“Do you feel better ? It was a difficult regeneration. And you have a very different body. It's your first time as a woman, isn't it.”

“Yes, it is. You should try it one day.”

The Doctor noticed she was wearing make up. Light blue matching her eyes, precise eyeliner and cherry red lips. He couldn't help to notice she looked gorgeous. But it was probably better to keep it to himself. He could only be amazed to see her coping so quickly.

“I'm going out, do you need something ? I could bring you anything you want for lunch.”

“Why don't you take me out with you ?”

“You know I can't.”

She pursed her lips in a cute pouting face, batting her eyelids. The Doctor smiled.

“You're overplaying a little bit, you know.”

She stopped her antics and her face came back its the original smugness. She looked stunningly like her previous self, manic and dangerous.

“Common, Doctor, you can't keep me forever in this room ! Take me with you and I won't try to escape today.”

“You can try, but we both know you won't.”

She jumped on her feet and began walking restlessly around the room, from the bed to the garden, then back to the bathroom.

“You know what ? I Accept your conditions ! Teach me how to be good.”

The Doctor smiled sadly and got on his feet too, taking Missy's hand in his own. The Time Lady stopped prancing and watched him in the eyes. She had this faux innocent look on her face again. She didn't have any common trait with Harrold Saxon anymore with her angular face and clear blue eyes, but it was still very obvious this body was inhabited by the same soul.

“I'm happy to hear it, but I would be happier if it was true.”

“It is true. Make me a good girl, Doctor.”

“It will take time, but I promise I will do my best. You are brilliant. Such a genius mind on the side of goodness, you have no idea how beautiful it would be.”

She looked at him expectantly and the Doctor wonder for a brief instant if she was going to kiss him. The idea didn't exactly disgusted him on a physical level, but he was not sure how he would react if the Master actually dived this low. Overhelmed by the affection he had tried to repress during this whole year of hell, he took her face in his hand and softly strocked her cheekbone. She closed her eyes and leaned into the touch, face lit by the same pleasure expression her previous body showed when Lucy massaged his shoulders. It was too genuine to be fake. She was craving for touch too.

“I promise I'll do everything in my power to make you better, Master.”

“I could be your perfect companion. A beautiful and witty female always by your side. An eternal companion who wouldn't wither like a _rose_.”

The Doctor stepped back like if Missy had bitten him. She smiled coyly, cruelty shining in her cold eyes.

“What did I say wrong, Doctor ?” She asked innocently.

The Doctor briefly wondered if he was being paranoid or if she truly made this off hand remark without double meaning. It was hard to believe such a face. She looked like a wicked witch dressed as a fairytail princess.

“Please, Doctor, take me with you. You can shackle me if you want, I just want to say goodbye to Earth.”

The Doctor sighed and shook his head dismissively.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like usually, sorry for the typos. I open regulary my fics and try to fix them afterwards, but I'm really a scatter brain who types at the speed of my thoughts.  
> I know I haven't wrote Ten a lot, but it's intimidating. I'm currently rewatching series 3 and 4 after buying them at the thrift shop ^^. I hope I'll get him right because he's a fan favourite, but not really mine actually.


	4. The craziest friend you ever had

Martha and Jack were already settled in the restaurant room, as they have decided with the Doctor. The Time Lord was late.

"For a man with a time machine he'd better have a good excuse" Jack said with a laugh.

"Are you worried ?"

"No, not really. But I guess his new companion is giving him some trouble."

Martha winced at the word _companion_. She had tried to rationalise the situation. They couldn't kill the Master because he was the last of his specie, and cold blood killing wasn't even an option. And they couldn't give him away to any organisations, because he was too clever, or could fall in bad hands and his DNA itself was a danger. So the only solution was to keep him in some room deep within the TARDIS and throw the key. Although, she still had this lingering feeling of jealousy toward the prisoner, as she was way too aware of the Doctor's real motivations.

“Here he comes” Jack announced. “And he's in charming company.”

Martha turned around and swore under her teeth. The Doctor wasn't alone, off course. By his side, a small woman with a ridiculous Mary Poppins costume. Even if Martha hadn't properly registered the idea of the Master's regeneration yet, she had no problem to recognise the childish demeanour of the little brunette.

“Did you really had to bring _her_ ?” she asked bitterly.

The Master smiled with all her teeth behind the Doctor.

“No, I didn't. But Missy really wanted to say goodbye too, and she promised to be nice.”

Behind the Doctor, Missy waved at the two friends with a mocking smile. Jack clenched his fists and got up on his feet.

“It's not what we agreed on. This _creature_ should be locked up forever.”

“Relax, Max” said the Time Lady, showing a silver ring on her wrist. “I'm tied up, you see. Shackled with irons, on a leash. Can't get away from my _master_ ”

She had spat the last word like a bitter beverage, loud enough to be heard by the bystanders. The Doctor smiled apologetically at his friends and took Missy's hand, caressing it slowly in an attempt to calm her.

“What she means is that I put those bracelets on our wrists. If she walks more than ten feet away from me, she's getting zapped. Not enough to kill a Time Lord, but enough to stun her.”

The Doctor took place on the table, next to Martha. Missy had no choice but to sit next to Jack, facing her captor. She winced at the accidental contact.

“Why do I have to sit next to the freak ?” she whined.

“Nobody forced you to come” Jack retorted.

The Doctor sighed, without lifting his eyes from the menu.

“Jack is right, Missy. You insisted to come, so please try to be at least civil. Or better, happy with what you've got.”

The woman was about to answer something, but she finally held her tongue and gave a look to the menu instead.

“You can order whatever you want” the Doctor said with a smile. “Tonight we celebrate your regeneration.”

She smiled brightly and began pointing things on the large cardboard.

“Hmm, I want a pizza, with chips, and then a big ice cream, and pancakes. And tea.”

The Doctor smiled, shaking his head. Martha sighed.

“It's a meal designed by an eight years old. Do Time Lords gain weight ?”

Missy stuck out her tongue but the Doctor took side with his friend.

“Martha is right, Missy. It's just for tonight.”

“So, what about Torchwood ?” asked suddenly the Doctor.

Jack frowned and tried to ignore the Master sat just by his side. It was pretty difficult, since she complained every time they accidentally touched. Which made the immortal touch her even more often, just to see her wince. Maybe he should forgive her with a big bear hug at the end of the night.

“We're going to recruit new members. We are currently in need of a doctor with a certain knowledge of alien biology. No matter if she's already on UNIT payroll.” he said, glancing cheekily toward Martha.

The Doctor smiled brightly and congratulated the young physician in training. Missy stayed thankfully silent the biggest part of the dinner, too busy eating her chips and pizza and drinking tea. She was strangely inelegant for such a sophisticated woman. Martha, who was facing her, was fascinated by the boyish attitudes of the rather beautiful lady, as she had retained most of Harold Saxon's personality. It was the third face she saw of the Master in only one year, so she had a little idea of what regeneration was. Whereas “Saxon” couldn't have been more different than “Yana”, “Missy” was almost identical to her previous self, large blue eyes and pair of breasts aside. She made no effort hiding her boredom, almost slumped on the table, tapping the infamous four times beat with her finger.

“Stop that, would you. It's unnerving everyone !” she snapped after a few minutes of drumming with her fork on the edge of the plate. Missy rolled her eyes.

“Poor Martha Jones, forced to hear me tapping unconsciously for five minutes the everlasting roaring pledging my mind since childhood.”

The Doctor took her hand away from the plate and caressed softly the knuckles.

“Are you alright ? Is the drumming too loud ? You can go and have a rest in the TARDIS if you prefer.”

She shook her head.

“No, it's okay. I don't know when I'll be allowed out next so I want to stay here. It's not that bad, I had just forgotten how loud it is outside of the TARDIS.”

“The TARDIS silences the drums ?” Martha asked, almost compassionate.

The Doctor could see the physician dealing with a patient, oblivious of any personal matter or past deeds of them. Missy must have felt that too because she answered humbly.

“No, they're never silent. But they seem really far away when I'm in the TARDIS. Maybe the sound can't go through the artronic shield.”

The Doctor smiled kindly and gave his own explanation.

“I think the TARDIS uses her telepathic link with Missy to ease the drumming.”

“She wants you to be calm inside her. Your stress isn't good for the navigation systems. And she probably thinks keeping you comfortable will prevent you from running away.” he added to the Time Lady, making her roll her eyes.

“How many times do I have to tell you the drums are real ! Okay, the TARDIS protects me on purpose to buy my good behaviour, but it has nothing to do with a psychic link at all !”

Missy was growing agitated, like she always was when it came to the drums. The Doctor remembered with a slight discomfort the breakdowns the Master had on the Valiant when the drumming became too overhelming.

“I'm taking you back in your room, Missy. I'll bring you your dessert there, okay ?”

Missy shook her head frenetically. She looked more and more psychotic and the Doctor had to grasp her by the shoulders to make her look at him. Jack was standing a few inches from them, ready to stop her in case of a lash out.

“Jack, I don't think you make things easy” Marthe said tactfully.

She took a few step in Missy's direction and crouched to be at her level as she was still sitting.

“Master, look at me. Shh, breath slowlier.”

Missy's breath kept going faster and sh was now almost hyperventilating.

“Please, slow down. You're making it worst.”

Missy had her head between her hands and she was frenetically counting _one two three four one two three four._ Martha watched her with an unwanted feeling of pity. The Doctor was now behind her, massaging her shoulders in an attempt to calm her. The young woman stretched her hand to take the Time Lady's. At the moment she touched her, the psychotic woman lashed out. She jumped on her feet and ran away. The Doctor turned on his heels and went after her, while the whole restaurant wa watching.

“Go and ask for the bill” Martha ordered Jack.

Martha rushed outside to hear a woman shrieking. Missy had collapsed in the street and bystanders were already flocking around the wounded woman. She swore and began dispersing the curious witnesses. The Doctor was crouching by her side and checking her vital signs.

“She's okay. But we need to take her back to the TARDIS before things get complicated.”

Taking her bridal style, he let Martha dismiss the worried charitable souls and open the TARDIS with her own key while the Doctor took Missy to safety. Watching on the monitor screen, she caught each tender gesture her friend gave his prisoner. He tugged her in her large bed, arranging the pillows, undid her tangled updo, took her pulse a last time and finally, after a few seconds of hesitation, ruffled her hair fondly. She try to reason the tingling of jealousy taking over. It was probably normal to worry for a wounded friend. A _friend_.

The Doctor returned finally and made apologies, to finally suggest to return in the restaurant and go to a last tour of the pubs with Jack and maybe the rest of Torchwood. He was smiling and didn't let any trace of worry show on his face. Martha smiled back and agreed for a goodbye night out.

 


	5. Heaven is a place on Earth with you...

 A few weeks had passed since the Doctor had his last diner with Jack and Martha. He hadn't seen them much since, only talking by telephone. He knew it was already time to move on. He felt slightly sad, like always when it was time to say farewell. But this time he wasn't alone. He felt quite happy at the idea of having the Master under his care. The Time War hadn't been indulgent with his oldest friend either. The other last Time Lord had definitely gone mad, and he suspected the drumming noise was only the top of the iceberg. He hadn't taken care of someone for years and years. Of course, he had travelled with various companions during all those centuries, but it was different. They were independent and didn't require the careful attention a mentally ill prisoner needed.  
The Master, or Missy as he had kindly nicknamed her the day he had regenerated into a small and childlike woman, was coping well for the moment. The TARDIS telepathic interface was muffling the drumming, resulting a rather peaceful Master. Of course, he knew her enough to guess she probably had some devious plan in mind. He had no idea how he was going to keep one of the most dangerous person in the Universe, neither how much of his time and attention she would require. For the moment, he didn’t feel like going outside for adventures. He started to feel the restlessness of prolonged confinement and Missy was probably feeling the same. Or probably worse, since she was contained in a small and closed room with nothing to really keep her busy. He didn’t doubt the TARDIS security system was unbreakable, but he was trying to restrain a person who once escaped a black hole, and even the Eye of the Harmony. He also didn’t really want his prisoner to suffer too much of the situation. His intentions were to keep her safe and out of trouble. She had been punished enough in the past, now she deserved proper help and a calm, comfortable life.  
Switching on the camera again, he watched his friend lying on the bed, almost drowning in soft pillows and fluffy blankets. She had been like this since her arrival, switching between manic agitation and lethargy. He knew it wasn’t good, she needed to stabilise. For now, she needed a strict routine, with regular meals and activities. The long term objective was to make her independent so the Doctor could leave for several days. But seeing her like this didn’t make him optimistic.  
  
“Hello, young lady” the Doctor cooed while coming in the room.  
Missy didn’t lift her head. The Doctor sat by her side and ruffled her hair in a soft gesture. She wasn’t wearing any make up and her long and untamed mane was tangled and wild. She looked ridiculously young, despite the tiny wrinkles at the corner of her eyes. She leaned in the touch, probably a positive signal.  
“How are you feeling ?”  
She looked at him blankly, her glassy eyes unfocused.  
“Are you tired ?”  
She nodded.  
“Is it the drums ? Are they loud right now ?”  
“They’re perfect. I can hear myself think and I still feel the rhythm.”  
“Is it what makes you sleepy ? Perfect drumming ?”  
“Hmm, yes. The beat carries me away slowly, like a very calm sea.”  
The Doctor smiled at her description. Missy was as candid as her previous self, but also softer and more cooperative. He wasn’t sure if it was a new trait she acquired with her regeneration or the result of the soothing telepathic field.  
“Does it feel good ?”  
“Yes” she said sleepily.  
“Are you feeling well ?”  
She shuddered.  
“Safe, maybe ? And comfortable ?”  
Missy rose herself on her elbows to face her guardian. She looked dizzy, but quite settled. She was now far away from the distressed Master prancing around the Valiant's deck, his head in his hands. The whole time the Doctor spent in that cage, he witnessed the other Time Lord's suffering and had sworn to himself he would save him. He knew the Master shouldn't have been his priority, but he couldn't help thinking about him first. It was a bit specist, but he was just like any creature in the universe, genetically programmed to protect his specie first.  
“What do you want, Doctor” Missy almost spat out.  
Apparently her pride had been hurt by the Doctor's worries about her well-being. She looked every inches like a child fighting sleep.  
“You don't have to be ashamed for your state. The TARDIS uses her connection to your mind to sooth you. It's like being on a sedative. She wants to keep you safe and harmless.”  
Missy smiled at the reminder of the threat she still was.  
“How much time do you think she can keep me ?”  
“Hopefully forever. But if we manage to work out how to make things better I shall give you more space.”  
“Like a dog you loosen the leash.”  
The Doctor sighed. Missy was still in a passive-aggressive attitude toward him.  
“You know you are my friend, right ? I have to lock you away because you are a danger to yourself and to the others, but I would never treat you like that. It's what makes us different.”  
Missy bit her lip and lowered her eyes at the reminder. Was it shame ? But what was she ashamed of, treating the last member of her specie like a slave or her own pitiful defeat ?  
“You didn't really answer me, how are you feeling ?”  
She snarled like a cat, trying to radiate danger with her whole being. But she only looked like a puffed out kitten. The Doctor repressed a smile and took a few steps back.  
“I don't need help. I'm not sick if it's what you're thinking about. The drums are real and you would be like me if you heard them too !”  
The Doctor turned around and felt Missy wincing as he began walking away.  
“I'm not leaving” he answered the untold question.  
“Why would I care ? You're the jailer here, you do however you want.”  
“I'm not your jailer, I'm your friend and your only family left. Come over here, we're going to have tea.”  
She hesitated and finally got up on her feet, shaking a little on her thin Bambi-like legs. She was still sleepy from her long nap. When she arrived in the garden, the Doctor was pouring steaming water in the teapot. A few biscuits were displayed in a plate. She took a teddy bear shaped one and bit its head off. The Doctor smiled with one of his maddening soft grins.  
“You still keep me in confinement and under sedation, though.”  
“It's not really sedation. The TARDIS uses the drums to calm you. You feel more comfortable and it makes you sleepy. It's like a big calm down after a long stressful phase. Your previous self was completely manic, always agitated and restless. I promise you will finally settle and regain energy. Don't fight your body, you are lucky to have a good bed to sleep in and no reason to worry about the immediate future. Just have a rest for the moment.”  
Missy nodded and ate another bear shaped soft biscuit. The Doctor made a mental note to himself to buy more of those. His list of her favourite food was becoming more precise. He wasn't sure it was the same for her, but when he regenerated, food tastes was one of the first new personality traits he noticed. Living with another Time Lord meant being able to project his own everyday experiences on someone else, all the trivial stuff that would always sound alien and weird to his human friends. He smiled at the idea of talking casually of regeneration, flowing time and maybe talk a bit of Gallifreyan.  
“Why are you smiling like an idiot ?”  
“Because you're here and now I feel like I have a home.”

 

 


	6. Tell me all the things you wanna do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. This story was meant to be in hiatus, but after receiving several requests, I've decided to go on. I hope I'll finish it. It isn't planned for being very long and I already know the end, all I need is motivation.

The Doctor dodged the Dalek fire and pointed his screwdriver to the nearest control panel. The Dalek shrieked and started spinning uncontrollably. Now the Doctor had to reach his TARDIS before the ship explode. He had exactly one minute to cross the corridor, running between the glitching Daleks.  
Once he closed the door, he felt the relieving weight of calm and silence. He dematerialised and sat a moment to take his breath. When he was sure he wasn't going to regenerate, he moved to the console and pressed the combination unlocking Missy's containment area. A minute later, he found himself choked by the Time Lady's embrace. Chuckling softly, he reciprocated the hug.  
“Did you miss me ?” he asked with a cheeky smile.  
“You've been gone for one full week” she answered reproachfully.  
“I'm sorry, Missy. Now I'm home, so what about having tea and a little nap ?”  
Missy rolled her eyes, still angry at him.  
“I've just got up and taken my breakfast.”  
“Sorry, jet-lag. I'm going to bed anyway, you can have the whole TARDIS, the dangerous locations are bio-locked.”  
Missy scoffed, but she still followed the Doctor to the nearest couch. He didn't have a bedroom of his own, so he slept in random places. What an idiot !  
“Why don't you use my bed, dummy ?”  
“If you let me.”  
Missy's bed was the most comfortable in the whole ship, a devilish design made to keep her sleepy as much as possible. And to her greatest shame, it worked pretty well. Especially now she had a laptop and plenty of stupid films and series to watch. As soon as the Doctor laid, she joined him and curled against him. He smiled and started stroking her back softly, almost making her purr. Rassilon, she had almost regressed back to her cheetah stage. She briefly wondered if it was another trick of the TARDIS or just her own fault. She felt a pang of disgust at the idea she was behaving like a literal pet, curling on her master's lap and waiting for cuddles. The Doctor felt so warm, not too warm like a human, the perfect kind of warm. And the sound of his hearts matched perfectly the drums, making her wonder if he intentionally adjusted them for her.  
Soon, the Doctor fell asleep and Missy started to get bored. Getting up on her feet, she went making diner, or lunch, whatever. She had taken the habit of cooking for him, and even for herself when she was alone. She felt like a housewife from the 50s and it was rather fun. Not that she liked serving but at least she didn't felt like a prisoner anymore. She had a purpose, being like the soul of this TARDIS. Well, the TARDIS already had a soul, but she didn't make sweet scented apple pies and couldn't even dream sleeping in the Doctor's bed. Silly machine, she had been replaced. The Doctor's wife didn't make the match with his beloved Mistress. The TARDIS made an annoyed noise and Missy stuck her tongue.

A few days later, the Doctor already talked about materialising. Missy puffed her cheeks, putting her chin on her fists dramatically.  
“Why can't you stay a little more. I'm bored without you.”  
“I'm sorry, Missy. Do you need anything more to keep you entertained.”  
Missy thought a moment to jump on the occasion to actually ask for something, but nothing came to her mind.  
“I only need you” she said, batting her eyes.  
The Doctor sighed and took her small hand in his.  
“I'll be back before you notice I'm gone.”  
“And what if you don't come back ?” she asked weakly.  
The Doctor froze a moment at the realisation. He wondered how anxious she must have felt everytime he pulled those doors. If he didn't come back she would be trapped alone in there forever.  
“It won't happen, I promise.”  
“Don't be an idiot, no one can promise not to die.”  
“If it had to happen...” he paused a moment, making a strong eye contact with her. “If it had to happen, the TARDIS would tend for your needs and make sure you are safe.”  
Missy squealed at the idea and thrown herself in the Doctor's arms. He cursed himself for his poor choice of words.  
“That's okay, it won't happen. Look at me, you tried to kill me so many times I've lost track of it, and I'm still here” he said jokingly.  
“I never seriously tried to kill you” she deadpanned.  
“Okay, but the Dalek did, and the Cybermen, and the Sontarans. And guess what, they all failed. I'm a big space cockroach.”  
Missy giggled nervously, leaning in the Doctor's touch.  
“Thank you, Missy. Thank you for being here for me.”  
“It's not like I had the choice.”  
“I never asked you to cook for me, or to help me with the maintenance, or even to stay by my side when you have your own place to hide. I wasn't expecting anything from you and yet you became a wonderful companion.”  
She cringed a bit at those words and the Doctor glanced a sorry look.  
“I'm not a companion. I'm useless. Not that your humans were really useful, but at least they could help. And no, cooking for you and sleeping in your arms don't count. I'm merely doing the job of a cat.”  
The Doctor was about to joke about the cats lack of cooking skills, but Missy didn't let him time.  
“I'm just a pet for you, here to be pretty and nice. If I was a companion, you would at least allow me to drive the TARDIS, so I can save you in case of problem.”  
“It's too soon for that. But I'll probably give you more important tasks later, if you agree.”  
Missy's eyes widened and the Doctor smiled softly.  
“For real ?”  
“For real. You're a Time Lord, you can do things no human can do. When I trust you enough, I'll install an emergency protocol. You won't have full access to the commends, but in case of real danger, you'll be able to pick me up. Okay ?”  
Missy nodded, watching the Doctor with innocent eyes. Inside, she was bubbling with excitement and ideas. So many ideas to get out of there and steal this wreckage of a TARDIS.


End file.
